A selection of the “keyboard warrior” reactions after the full-time whistle of our featured matches of the weekend.
Despite the disappointment, the post-match thread on the HarpinOnRugby Facebook page was arguably the best series of contributions of the season - below you see merely a sample; click here to read them all.
Disgraceful
Jamie Parry
Congratulations Scarlets. No complaints, the right team has won. #LEIvSCA— Brian Donnelly (@bptd1234) May 19, 2017
Scoring 5 points in 40 minutes against 14 men !!! Unbelievable!! Worst performance in years. Looked out of ideas - didn't have a clue what to do with the extra man.
Tony Keogh
Awesome from the Scarlets.Quite simply awesome.14 men for 40 minutes.In the Pro 12 semis.Away at Leinster.Legendary stuff.
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) May 19, 2017
Heaslip was missed to steady a few heads. a real shocker. Fair play to Scarlets.
Brendan Grehan
Well done Scarlets. Well deserved.— Tom Coleman (@LeinsterRoyalty) May 19, 2017
Really disappointing...haven't shown up since Lions announcement...
Claire O'Connell
Congrats @scarlets_rugby you've outplayed us today We were rubbish but that takes nothing away from you. Good luck next week!— Richard Mifsud (@Richmif) May 19, 2017
I don't think I can believe it. That sort of bollocks doesn't happen.
Hywel Davies (Scarlets fan)
Leinster were poor but the Scarlets were brilliant on the deck. #LEIvSCA— Alan Drumm (@alanjdrumm) May 19, 2017
Very poor, odd team selection. Very loose, No control. A lot of poor performances. Not sure Gibson park provides any control a SH, more an impact sub for last 20 mins. hope they sold plenty of tickets in advance of today's games result for next week. Also better team won
Cian Greally
@TheVietGwent Not the result I wanted but awesome for the Pro12 and Welsh rugby. They are a very good side.— Patrick Logan (@paddylogan13) May 19, 2017
Only Ringrose and possibly Ruddock can claim they played well. Rest were just awful. Not to take from Scarlets. They were superb and totally deserved the win. I knew the games was lost when Isa missed the conversion in front of the posts. Just summed up our night. Hope Scarlets win the final now. They deserve it.
Paul Smith
@paddylogan13 Apart from one silly lineout throw to the back, Scarlets didn't give Leinster a foothold back into the game. Leinster were disappointing.— GJPowell (@TheVietGwent) May 19, 2017
Rot 😔😔 didnt show up at all ... fair play to scarlets a deserved win
Olivia Merrigan
Leinster into a huddle as Scarlets go to thank their fans. Superb performance from the visitors. Deserved the win. pic.twitter.com/vR2YM29Oft— Cian Murtagh (@cianmnews) May 19, 2017
The first xv have played together a sum total of 3 times since before the 6N. They looked incredibly rusty and were asleep (just like the Clermont match) and allowed Scarlets to build a lead. After that, they panicked and struggled to build phases. Stupid errors is typically a sign of a lack of gametime. Losing McGrath and McGrath hurt us badly. Byrne was swamped in defence.
Cormac Mannion
Pro 12: That's the first time since the introduction of play offs in 2009/10, there has been an away win in the "semi finals" #LEIvSCA— rugby (@theblitzdefence) May 19, 2017
In fairness only 1 team turned up
Tonight Leinster were blessed to score in the 2nd half from a poor line out.
Thought sexton would start 10 for lions but we won't see him again till Heathrow airport so can't prove himself there. Love sexton but maybe more than gatland does. Anyway best province in Ireland from academy up so onwards and upwards
From a connacht fan who loves rugby how it should be played
Alan Eastwood
"The team that wins deserves it" says Isa who says "it's just not good enough" #LEIvSCA— Oisin Langan (@oisinlangan) May 19, 2017
Totally stunned. What happened? We played better when Cullen's Cubs were minding the shop during the autumn internationals and the 6 nations than with the senior players back in the team. Just devastated. Hopefully lessons will be learned and we can look forward to a better ending to next season. #COYBIB 💙
Ginette Mifsud
Well played @scarlets_rugby thoroughly deserved ... all down to me wishing you luck of course.— #runfatboyrun-ultra (@Tircoeds) May 19, 2017
No excuses ridiculous performance across the board ball was like a bar of soap for Leinster, mistakes, dropping balls, 3 or 4? fucking restarts, balls straight to touch, poor defending, that conversion? I could keep going........ probably the worst I've seen from Leinster in a loooooong time........
Steven Young
Didn't last long at all https://t.co/BK8K4uGhNE— SportsJOE.ie (@SportsJOEdotie) May 19, 2017
Well done Scarlets; ye handed us our arses. Hopefully Munster win tomorrow, so I can get behind Scarlets in the final and piss off my Munster friends in so doing - as they gleefully do at every opportunity. That's the only high point I can find to look forward to at season's end! Here's to more consistent Rugby next season.
Roy Thompson
#LEIvSCA well done scarlets, great result for you, very disappointed for Leinster. Very unimpressed at the standard of officials— Conor Cronin (@ccbooms) May 19, 2017
The worst we've played in a long time! Well done Scarlets. Highlight was Leo the Lion jumping an Ospreys fan after he had been booed by the Scarlets fans!
Helena Quilty
Thanks Hayden. Very best of luck to you, Mikala & the two lads in the future. You left your mark Old Dad. You'll be missed. #ThanksTriggsy pic.twitter.com/p5oPOCLHVS— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) May 20, 2017
A blip on a phenomenal season - the better team won and calmer heads were needed. Despite that, Pro12 record for try scoring set and immense progress shown by the younger players. Supreme arrogance by people here expecting us to dance on a Scarlets side who are the best attacking team in the league on their day - Barclay and Davies nous at the breakdown was too much in tandem with the back 3's clinicality. Our team was shorn of 7 of our presumptive starters at the start of this season by 25 minutes - 2 Kearney's, 2 McGraths and a full backrow (Murphy, who was the incumbent, O'Brien & Heaslip). There's plenty more guys there in their first full season and they'll only come back stronger knowing a defeat like this. This is the start of a very special team with an improbably young core of players (Furlong, Maloney, Leavy, VDF, Conan, McGrath, Ringrose, 2 Byrnes, Carbery) all inside 2 full seasons who've defied the odds to do this well. I look forward to many a good year from them and the others waiting in the wings (Ryan, O'Loughlin, Porter and many more) in the future.
Mark Schmidt
— Harpin' On Rugby 🏉 (@HarpinOnRugby) May 19, 2017
Many thanks to all who offered opinions.
Look out Monday for our match writeup JLP
